In China, there are fewer regulations and ethical quandaries standing in the way of genetic progress.
Category: biotech/medical – Page 3,178
Virtual Reality Headsets Concern Doctors
BOSTON (CBS) – It’s expected to be the hot holiday gift of the season: virtual reality headsets. We know it’s a cool new experience but there’s still a lot we don’t know about the technology, especially when it comes to kids.
The headset completely immerses users in a new 3D virtual world. “I felt like I was actually there.” said one first-time user. “There’s no age limit to this,” said another virtual reality fan.
But there actually is an age limit. Many of the top selling brands warn against kids using the device. Oculus Rift and Samsung VR Gear say it’s not for kids under 13. Sony PlayStation is recommended for kids 12 and up. And the HTC Vive is less specific, just saying it’s not for young children.
Aubrey De Grey provides a summary of his goal of combating ageing
A quick dash of Aubrey to remind us of the goal and the importance of research.
Aubrey believes ageing is a serious issue, not only because people die of old age, but because it causes suffering. He discusses the fact that many diseases including chronic cancer, are the result of ageing and that by tackling ageing of cells, we can address many of the issues associated with poor health. To find out more about Aubrey and the SENS Research Foundation visit: http://www.sens.org/
Synthetic Organs: We’re One Step Closer to Having Bioartificial Kidneys
In Brief:
- Researchers have succeeded in creating a “living membrane” that can transport molecules from one side to the other, a key requirement for a functional bioartificial kidney.
- Their work could make dialysis or transplantation unnecessary for the millions of patients suffering from renal failure across the world.
A new study being presented at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week 2016 at McCormick Place in Chicago is poised to revolutionize kidney failure treatment. Dutch researchers Dimitrios Stamatialis of the University of Twente, Roos Masereeuw from the University of Utrecht, and their teams have successfully engineered a key requirement for a functional bioartificial kidney.
A Brief Explanation of the Kardashev Scale: How Far Can Humanity Really Advance?
Let’s be honest, we have our fair share of problems on planet Earth: war, floods, disease, poverty, environmental destruction, Justin Bieber (the list goes on and on, really). But we also have a lot of things going for us: the Alcubierre Warp Drive, invisibility cloaks, the Mars rover missions, the discovery of the Higgs (the list goes on and on, really).
How can we weigh all the exciting and inspiring scientific discoveries against all the destruction and chaos? We have an ever expanding list of catastrophes that is coupled with (indeed, that parallels) our unrelenting march towards technological perfection. With such a coupling of unimaginable horrors and magnificent advancements, how can we possibly measure our status as a civilization?
One of the easiest ways to answer this question is to form a scale that will allow us to scientifically measure our technological *abilities* against the technological *possibilities.* Or in layman’s terms, something that will allow us to measure our awesomeness against the total possible awesomeness. Fortunately, there are several ways of conducting such measurements.
New era of ‘cut and paste’ humans close as man injected with genetically-edited blood
A world where DNA can be rewritten to fix deadly diseases has moved a step closer after scientists announced they had genetically-edited the cells of a human for the first time using a groundbreaking technique.
A man in China was injected with modified immune cells which had been engineered to fight his lung cancer. Larger trials are scheduled to take place next year in the US and Beijing, which scientists say could open up a new era of genetic medicine.
The technique used is called Crispr, which works like tiny molecular scissors snipping away genetic code and replacing it with new instructions to build better cells.
Nicotinamide riboside
The subject of Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) has been in the new a lot lately but is all the hype justified? Find out in this scientific article on Longecity by researcher Sven Bulterijs.
Researcher Sven Bulterijs has published a scientific article about nicotinamide riboside, how it works and looking at the data behind this recently popular supplement. So does it live up to the hype? Why not check it out and decide yourself.
“The first article in my new science column takes a look at a special vitamin B3 derivative called nicotinamide riboside that was shown to slightly extend mouse lifespan.”
http://www.longecity.org/forum/blog/201/entry-3579-nicotinamide-riboside/